AM I THE LAST VIRGIN?

Subtitled African American Reflections on Sex and Love, this is an uneven collection of personal accounts of rape, child abuse, incest, AIDS, abortion, homosexuality, and failed relationships (with men, with mothers). Roberts states, ``A collective of young black women has come together to share their sexual stories,'' then launches the book with a frank account of her own encounters and the pronouncement that women are now ``demanding that guys touch them'' in addition to ``getting theirs.'' She defines virginity as ``strength, force, skill'' that she hopes to keep all her life. Other pieces, cast as essays, feel manipulated to present a moral or a sense of closure. Common to many of the stories are bad writing and clichÇs (``these women represent the mass,'' ``beyond my wildest dreams,'' ``I went into shock''). These reflections are as mesmerizing as the revelations offered on talk shows, and just as earnest, but do not withstand scrutiny on the page. (Anthology. 12+)